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Latest Research on the Degradation and Detection of Toxins and...
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Latest Research on the Degradation and Detection of Toxins and Contaminants in Food Matrics

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 10944

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alberto Angioni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
Interests: fruit; pesticides; fruit quality; agricultural science; postharvest; processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesco Corrias

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
Interests: pesticide residue; food analysis; nanotechnology; heavy metal; risk assessment; environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Healthy food is required to sustain human life by providing essential nutrients and energy for growth and development. Therefore, food safety is a primary concern for developed and developing countries. Various food contaminants are the most important causes of food safety problems, such as pesticides and veterinary drug residues, heavy metal ions, foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins, food additives, etc., according to their sources. Moreover, the ingredients of edibles can undergo many physicochemical changes during preparation and storage, changing the original flavour, texture, taste, and nutritional value of food, but also affecting food safety, producing harmful metabolites, chemicals, and toxins. The production can be related to poor processing, inappropriate storage, and microbial spoilage. The main objective of this Special Issue is to gather studies regarding the detection, extraction, and risk assessment evaluation of harmful contaminants in raw and processed food.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Angioni
Dr. Francesco Corrias
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food safety
  • food processing
  • analytical methods
  • mycotoxins
  • pesticides
  • heavy metals
  • emerging contaminants
  • degradation compounds
  • risk assessment

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2773 KB  
Article
Simultaneous Determination of Six Acidic Pesticides, Including 2,4-DB and 2,4,5-T with No Established MRL in Korea Using LC-MS/MS and QuEChERS for the Safety of Imported Agricultural Products
by Joon-Kyung Oh, Jae-Hyeong Kim, Ga-Eul-Hae An and Hee-Ra Chang
Foods 2025, 14(5), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050904 - 6 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2945
Abstract
The use of pesticides is essential for the production of high-quality agricultural products. However, the repeated application of pesticides has led to the contamination of environments, such as the atmosphere, soil, and surface water, affecting ecosystems and leading to residues on crops, which [...] Read more.
The use of pesticides is essential for the production of high-quality agricultural products. However, the repeated application of pesticides has led to the contamination of environments, such as the atmosphere, soil, and surface water, affecting ecosystems and leading to residues on crops, which pose potential risks to human health. Accordingly, regulations regarding pesticide usage, application frequency, timing, and maximum residue limits have been established to manage residual pesticides. The Positive List System (PLS), with a default tolerance of 0.01 ppm, has been applied to both domestic and imported agricultural products for which no established maximum residue limits (MRLs) exist in Korea. This study developed a multi-residue analytical method for the simultaneous determination of six pesticides, including 2,4-DB and 2,4,5-T, for which no domestic MRLs have been established, as well as for 2,4-D, 4-CPA, Dicamba, and Dichlorprop, for the management of imported agricultural products. The target pesticides were extracted and purified using the QuEChERS method and quantified by LC-MS/MS. The analytical method was validated according to the CODEX (CAC/GL 40-1993) and the Guidelines of Standard Procedures of Test Methods for Foods and Other Substances established by the MFDS. Using the developed and validated analytical method, monitoring of imported agricultural products was conducted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research on the Degradation and Detection of Toxins and Contaminants in Food Matrics)
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13 pages, 714 KB  
Article
Multiresidue Methods Analysis to Detect Contamination of Selected Metals in Honey and Pesticides in Honey and Pollen
by Mattia Casula, Francesco Corrias, Alessandro Atzei, Massimo Milia, Nicola Arru, Alberto Satta, Ignazio Floris, Michelina Pusceddu and Alberto Angioni
Foods 2024, 13(24), 4099; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13244099 - 18 Dec 2024
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3137
Abstract
Honey, a natural food with a rich history, is produced by honeybees and other species of bees from nectar, other plant fluids, and honeydew of sap-sucking insects. During foraging, these bees may be exposed to plant protection products (PPPs), metals, and metalloids, potentially [...] Read more.
Honey, a natural food with a rich history, is produced by honeybees and other species of bees from nectar, other plant fluids, and honeydew of sap-sucking insects. During foraging, these bees may be exposed to plant protection products (PPPs), metals, and metalloids, potentially leading to residues in honey and hive products that could have a negative impact on human safety. Recognizing the lack of an appropriate methodology for pesticide contamination of honey and other hive products, this research aims to support the need for studies on residues in pollen and bee products for human consumption to establish safe maximum residue levels (MRLs) for consumers. A UHPLC-MS/MS residues method and a modified QuEChERS extraction were applied to simultaneously determine 237 pesticide residues in honey and pollen. The study in North Sardinia analyzed honey and pollen samples from six areas for pesticide residues and verified 27 heavy metals and metalloid residues using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The data obtained showed residues at levels close to the LOQ of the method, cycloate in a few samples of pollen, and dichlorvos, zoxamide, cycloate, and chlorantraniliprole in honey samples. All samples showed the absence of heavy metal contamination. Overall, no risk to human health was identified. The results of this study confirm that honey and pollen may be a good bioindicator of environmental contamination of a wide area surrounding honeybee hives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research on the Degradation and Detection of Toxins and Contaminants in Food Matrics)
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Review

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25 pages, 3256 KB  
Review
Developing Healthier Meat Products: Application of Natural Polyphenols to Reduce Hazardous Compounds During High Temperature Processing and Digestion
by Du-Xin Jin and Yu-Xuan Jin
Foods 2025, 14(22), 3952; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14223952 - 18 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1377
Abstract
Meat products are popularized worldwide for their great flavor and high nutritional value. However, a high consumption of high-temperature processed meat has posed an adverse health implication, contributing to an imperative demand for healthier meat products. Polyphenols are a category of compounds with [...] Read more.
Meat products are popularized worldwide for their great flavor and high nutritional value. However, a high consumption of high-temperature processed meat has posed an adverse health implication, contributing to an imperative demand for healthier meat products. Polyphenols are a category of compounds with excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that polyphenols can reduce carcinogen formation, particularly heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and N-nitrosamines (NAs), during thermal processing of meat. Notably, polyphenols can mitigate lipid and protein oxidation during the gastrointestinal digestion of meat, underscoring the role of antioxidant polyphenols in enhancing meat consumption safety. To promote the application of polyphenols in mitigating hazardous compounds in meat products, this review elucidates polyphenols’ mitigation mechanisms against thermally generated carcinogens in meat products, analyzing their multilevel suppression pathways during processing and subsequent digestive transformation through gastrointestinal interfaces. Furthermore, this article proposes an encapsulation strategy for polyphenols to address their inherent low aqueous solubility and detrimental effects on sensory properties in meat products, aiming to enhance bioavailability while minimizing adverse organoleptic impacts. This review can provide new strategies for the application of polyphenols in developing healthier meat products and to indicate a feasible direction for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research on the Degradation and Detection of Toxins and Contaminants in Food Matrics)
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24 pages, 1111 KB  
Review
Fishery Anesthetics in Aquaculture Products: Safety Concerns and Analytical Methods
by Bao-Zhu Jia, Xue-Ying Rui, Yu Wang, Xi Zeng, Shu-Jing Sheng, Bi-Jian Zeng, Zhen-Lin Xu and Lin Luo
Foods 2025, 14(22), 3928; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14223928 - 17 Nov 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1967
Abstract
Fishery anesthetics are extensively employed in aquaculture to mitigate stress and reduce mortality during handling, transportation, and processing of farmed fish. While they enhance operational efficiency and reduce economic losses for fish merchants, the potential residual presence of these anesthetics raises concerns regarding [...] Read more.
Fishery anesthetics are extensively employed in aquaculture to mitigate stress and reduce mortality during handling, transportation, and processing of farmed fish. While they enhance operational efficiency and reduce economic losses for fish merchants, the potential residual presence of these anesthetics raises concerns regarding human health risks and environmental impact. This review examines six commonly used anesthetics in aquaculture—eugenol, MS-222, benzocaine, 2-phenoxyethanol, diazepam, and quinaldine—focusing on their mechanisms of action, application risks, ecotoxicological effects, and methods for residue analysis. The objective is to promote the safe and informed application of these anesthetics, mitigate their biological toxicity, and minimize their ecological impact. Furthermore, the review provides technical insights into monitoring and managing anesthetic residues in aquaculture to ensure the safety of aquatic products and safeguard environmental health while also supporting the development of sustainable aquaculture practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research on the Degradation and Detection of Toxins and Contaminants in Food Matrics)
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